OPAL
OPAL Play at Phoenix
At Phoenix infant school, we’re excited to be a part of OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning), a programme to enrich the play experiences of all our children. OPAL is about more than just playtime — it’s about creating an environment where children can explore, imagine, and enjoy outdoor play in a safe, stimulating, and supportive setting.
Really loving the addition of Opal play totally here for the children being given the opportunity to play and be imaginative feel sad that this will be our last child at phoenix would and do recommend to others thank you for everything you do and all the hard work and the commitment of the whole team teachers
We love phoenix! My child loves coming to school and is really happy here. OPAL play is great, my child has been having so much fun and telling me about what she's been up to with her friends. We have been part of phoenix for a number of years now and will be sad to leave at the end of the school year, it's an amazing school with fabulous stuff
Parent questionnaire - October 2025
What is OPAL?
OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) transforms the school playground into a vibrant, inviting place filled with opportunities to climb, dig, build, balance, explore, create, race, and rest. It’s child-led, inclusive, and encourages risk-taking in a managed way — giving children real freedom and responsibility to play.
Why we are Introducing OPAL
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To boost children’s happiness, health, and wellbeing through more active, imaginative, and unstructured outdoor play.
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To cultivate social skills, resilience, teamwork, and creativity as children problem-solve and invent games together.
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To encourage independence and responsibility, by giving children the choice and ownership of their outdoor environment.
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To support learning and development, with benefits for concentration, communication, physical development, and emotional wellbeing.
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To promote equity in play, ensuring all children — regardless of ability or background — have access to rich, meaningful play experiences.
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At Phoenix, we know that play is a huge part of every child’s day, yet many children today don’t get as much time outdoors as they need. OPAL gives us the opportunity to make playtimes longer, more active, and more meaningful for every child.
We can’t wait to bring OPAL Play to life here at Phoenix — and we look forward to working with you to create a joyful, inclusive, and adventurous play environment. Watch this space for updates, photos, and opportunities to get involved!
OPAL Assemblies
We hold regular OPAL assemblies to support the planning of play and to ensure we provide appropriate care and support for all children. During these assemblies, we share the activities and resources available, celebrate examples of fantastic play, and revisit important rules and expectations.
Play Charter
The children worked together to create a Play Charter that all children follow to ensure happy and enjoyable OPAL playtimes.